Folding bed and boat attachment for automobiles



May 25 1926.

. L; LAUZON FOLDING BED AND BOAT ATTACHMENT m AUTOMOBILES Filed March 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 25, 1925. 1,585,926

' L. LAUZON FOLDING BED AND BOAT ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed March 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Maj; 25, 1926.

UNITED stares PATENT OFFICE.

LUDGER LA'U'ZON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDING BED AND BOAT ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Applieati qn filed March 5, 1925.

This invention relates to a folding bed and tent for use with certain types of automobiles commonly on the market and is-adapted to be secured in the place of the usual box on a runabout automobile of the type referred to.

The present invention has for its object a left above and below the bedding and springs to permit the storage of any desired articles therein.

A still further feature resides in the provision of the means for instantaneously tensioning the springs when the bed has been set up.

A still further feature resides in the manner of drawing the canvas covering taut.

Another feature resides in the construction which permits the bed to be removed from the automobile chassis and used as a boat.

A still further feature resides in the arrangement which permits the rear end of the structure when folded to be closed by a table top which may be readily removed and used for its ordinary purpose.

Still further features and advantages will appear from time to time as the description of the invention progresses. The invention will be most readily understood from a detailed description thereof, taken in connec-- tion with the accompanying drawings in whichapplicants bed, in operative position showing its relation to the automobile.

Figure 2 is a plan view ofthe bed frame and springs in operative position with one corner broken away.

Figure 3 is aperspective view ,of the upper right corner of the arrangement in Fig. 2, showing the spring tensioning in arrangement and its relation to the bed box or frame. I

Serial' No. 13,332..

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-.4 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the table used to close the rear end of the bed box when in folded condition and Figure 6 is a view of the rear when assembled.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate the same parts in the several views, the line 10 indiof the bed c ates the outline of the rear of the top of the runabout and 11 schematically indicates the portion of the runabout on which the bed rests. The bed box consists of the U-shaped ribs 12 and 13 which are joined at their free ends by means of the angle strips 14, which extend about the entire upper edge of the bed, The bed box is in two sections, the limits of the two sections being defined by the ribs 13 respectively. The two sections are secured together by means of the hinges 15, each of which has a leaf 16, secured to the upper rail 14 of onehalf of the bed, the other leaf 17 being secured to the end of the upper ra'il'14 of the other half. Rivets 18 or any other desired means may be provided to secure the hinge leaves to the flanges of the top rails 14.

Extending across the bed box at the left end thereof, as shown in the drawing, is an angle iron or other device 19, to which is secured one end of each of the springs 20, the other end of each of the springs 20 being joined to the woven spring structure or wire mattress 21. The ends of the bar 19 may be supported in any desired manner. In the present structure the upper flange of the bar 19 structure 21 is oined through the medium of Figure 1 is a longitudinalsection through the coiled springs 23. The forward edges of the ends of the bar 22 engage the wedge or sloping surfaces 24 of the blocks 25, secured to the bed frame. The surface 24 terminates at the lowerend thereof in a vertical extending or slightly undercut portionagainst which the edge of the bar 22 rests when the springs have been brought taut.

The upper rail 14 is provided adjacent to the block 25 with the notch or recess 27 through which the end of the bar'22 may pass to remove the springs from the box. Such removal is however normally prevented by means of the plate 28 slidably mounted on the upper surface of the horizontal flange of the bar 22.

It should be here stated that a covering 30, of sheet metal or like 'i'naterial is secured to the ribs 12 and 13 and to the top rail sections l t in order to form a complete closure on the sides and bottom when the device is extended as shown in Fig. 1.

Between applicants-bed and the supporting surface 11 of the car are arranged the spacing blocks 31, which provide a clearance to take care of any inequalities in the sup porting surface 11. surface of each of the blocks 31 by means of the bolts 32 are the straps 33, the upper free ends of which are secured to the adjacent top rails lit by means of the bolts ill. blocks 31 together with the straps 33 form a sort of cradle in which the forward end of the bed rests, the bed being firmly secured in position by means of the bolts 34:.

At 35 is shown the canvas covering for the bed. The rear end 36 of this covering may be secured to the end of the bed by curtain fasteners 37, or if desired by ropes which pass under the bottom of the bed and are secured to the rear-bar 31, as by. screw eye and The forward end of the snap fastenings. canvas cover 35 passes up over the top 38 of the car and is secured preferably to the forward bow by hooksor'in any desired manner.

The ends of the U-shaped balelike tension member 39 are secured to the opposite sides of the bed box. The tension member 39, will, when in operative position, be folded down into the bed boX. When the bed has been set up andv the canvas placed in position, the bale 39 willbe rotated up into the position indicated in Fig. 1, and will act to instantaneous ly tension the canvas and retain it in a position out of the way of the occupants of the bed. The sides of the canvas covering 35 may be secured down if desired, by ropes extending under the bed or in any desired manner.

Itwill of course be understood that the usual mattress and bedding will be placed upon the woven spring or mattress shown at 21. Assuming now that the bed is in folded position, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, all that is necessary to set up the bed is to swing it back onthehinges 13 into the full line position, push the cross bar 22 downwardly along the inclined surface 2 to tension the springs, secure the ends of the canvas covering-35 in position as described, then swing up the bale l9 and the structure is ready for use. It has been demonstrated that this operation may be performed by two people in two minutes.

hen it is desired to fold the bed, the re Secured to the upper- The verse operation is performed. The bale 39 is turned down, the ends of the canvas 35 are removed the bed is then folded up into dotted line position, the bedding being folde within the woven springs. Due to the lateral vas covering, luggage or any other desired articles.

joints of the hinges 15. hen the table has been placed in position as just eyplained, the leaves l-l of the hasps 45 may be turned over the staples 4:6, extending outwardly from the bed box, adjacent to the rear edge of the forward half, the hasp bein secured into J.

position by placing a pin through the staple or if desired, a padlock indicated at 4-17, may be employed.

A similar hasp structure may be cn'iploycd to secure the two halves of the bed box together adjacent to their forward ends when in folded position.

If desired, the underside of the table top 41 may be provided with a plurality of spring clips 48, employed to secure plates, pans or other like articles in position. It is of course to be understood that in the process of setting up and folding the bed above described, the table just above described would neccssarily have to be removed from and replaced in position and the hasp leaves 3i may be used as handles in removing the table from its position at the end of the folded bed box.

The present structure is so designed that it may be readily removed from the automobile chassis, the bed taken out and the box employed as a boat. Secured to one of the ribs 13 is a gasket 50, of fiber, rubber composition or other desired material. When the bed box is to be used as a boat, the ribs 13 will be clamped together by means of bolts 51 which pass through aligned notches or openings in the vertical flanges of the ribs 13, thus firmly securing the two halves together. T he bolts will not however be used when the device is merely set up as a bed. In order to remove the bed box from the chassis, it is only necessary to remove the four bolts 3 f which pass through the upper end of the straps 33 and the top rail sections 14.

' By simply withdrawing the sliding plates 28 at the ends ofthe bar 22, the bar 22 may be reachly removed from the bed box. The

bar 19 at the other end of the bed may be removed in a similar manner, thereby merely unhooking the ends of the coiled springs 20-23 and from the bed box, the whole bed and springstructm'e may be readily removed to permit the bed box being used as a boat. The bed box being over six feet long, about 4.4" wide and having a depth of about'12, will have a supporting strength in the water of approximately 1400 lbs, leaving a supporting strength of over 1250 lbs exclusive of the weight of the boat. It will be readily seen that this structure will safely support two people for the purpose of lishing or the like.

If desired, the bed may be provided with pneumatic pillows which may also be used as life preservers for use with the boat.

While in the drawings and the above de scription a single set of details has been disclosed, it is to be understood that certain modifications are contemplated and the invention should therefore be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is.

I claim:

1. In a folding bed attachment for automobiles, a bed box comprising two sections hingedly joined at the tops of their abutting edges, a frame for said bed box comprising a rail at the upper edge thereof, transversely 7 ber removably supported within said bed.

box.

2. In a folding bed attachment for automobiles, a bed box comprising two sections hingedly joined at the tops of their abutting edges, a flexible bed supporting member positioned within said bed box, a table having legs adapted to fit within the corners of said sections of the bed box when in folded position, the top of said table being arranged to close the open end of the folded bed box structure.

3. In a folding bed and boat attachment for automobiles, a box comprising two sections hingedly joined at the tops of their abutting edges, said box sections being gen erally U-shaped in cross section and formed of imperforate material, a Waterproof gasket secured to the edge of one of said sections and means for snugly securing the abutting edges of said sections together with said gasket clamped therebetween.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

LUDGER LAUZON. 

